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A Boob Revolution

Saturday, 1 September 2012

Hello Lovelies!

"Studies Suggest that 80% of women in the UK wear the wrong bra size"

Now I don't know about you, but nothing drives me more mental than women wearing the wrong bra size. I find the saggy, four boob look a bit offensive, and highly distracting. Now, some people may think that I'm a bit weird or out of order for getting so worked up about other peoples boobs, but I get just as annoyed by companies assumptions of "average" bra size, which in turn results in women wearing the wrong bra size. I'm sorry but launching a bra range that only goes as small as a 34 back and only goes as big as a D cup is absolutely ludicrous.

I'm sure we are all aware everyone is different shapes and sizes, so in my opinion there should be bigger ranges in size that are more accessible. To be honest, I'm sick of having to pay £40 for a bra that I don't even like because it's the only one I've found in my size in 6 months.

If you've seen me in person or in pictures you may be wondering, "what on earth are you talking about? your boobs don't look big", or whatever. The first problem I have is that my back size is so small. I'm very petite, and don't have a massive rib cage, even when I was overweight my back size stayed relatively small. In fact, the biggest back size I've ever gone to is 32 - which some companies don't even make!! Right now, I'm a 28-30 back depending on the make of the bra, as some are a little more generous with elastic and I sometimes don't feel supported in a 30. And my cup size is G. Yes you read that right ladies, that big scary letter is my cup size. When most people think G cup, they think that they must be MAHOOSIVE, and I suppose they can be, if say you're a 40G, but because my back size is so small they look pretty "average".

My sister and my aunt have both worked in lingerie departments in department stores, so the women in my family are lucky that we have been educated in getting the right bra size. So I thought I would have to do something about it. There is a relatively easy way to work out your bra size, and all you need is a tape measure.

All you need to do is measure under your boobs in a straight line where the back strap of your bra should comfortably fit. You take the measurement and add 4 and that is your back size. For example, I measure at 26in underneath, plus four = 30. Then you measure round the fullest part of your bust. By then finding the difference between that and your back size measurement can you figure out your cup size. I measure at 34in at my fullest so the difference for me is 8in. Have a look at the table below as an easy guide for cup size calculation!

...and so on! If you get a measurement that is completely different from what you wear, it might seem crazy, but I urge you to get down to a department store and try on your calculated size. Most department stores do fittings too, and the girls there tend to have a bit of knowledge about which brands of bras have more generous back sizes or if they are made particularly tight. But the bonus of calculating it yourself is that you don't need to get someone else involved if you are a bit shy about it. I remember me, my mum and aunts took my granny to get better fitting bras a couple of years ago, and at first she was surprised because the back of her new bras felt "tight", but basically that was the support that was previously lacking - she was wearing a 42 back when she should have been wearing a 34! and now you can see her waist!

I also wouldn't advise buying bras online unless you already own bras from the same make and have tried them on, due to the differences in back and cup size from brand to brand. For example, in Freya bras I'm my exact calculated size, but in the Debenhams gorgeous range I need to go down a back size and up a cup size to a 28GG, as I find the backs on them a little looser.

I could also go on and rant about how I HATE that the most popular bra size is 34B, because I doubt that it's actually accurate. I always think of myself and my friends as examples, because none of us are as big as a 34 back, and there are hundreds of girls I see in the street daily that are thinner than I am. In fact a few weeks ago in primark I seen a girl who was about half the size I am discussing which bra she was going to buy with her friend, and she was looking for a '34B', when really you could've wrapped a 34 back around her twice. I also remember going mad at one of my friends years ago for wearing a 34 back, so much so that I stuck my head up her back under the band screaming "I should not be able to do this when your bra is on!!" (there may or may not have been some vodkas involved in this incident).

Any way the point I'm making is that, I feel like real women's needs are forgotten about by companies when it comes to bras, because why should they worry if you're wearing the wrong bra size? So by being aware of your proper bra size and demanding that companies do something about giving women the bras that they need. You have no idea how much I would love to walk into new look or primark and buy a bra!

So here is my challenge to you, to find out if you have been wearing the right bra size. I want you to leave in the comments (if you don't mind/aren't embarrassed to) the bra size you have been wearing/buying and your correctly 'calculated' bra size. The reason for this is that I want to compile the results and start emailing high street stores to ask why the aren't meeting the needs of their target market. That is how strongly I feel about this so I would love to have some "support". (worst pun ever).

A great post. As we discussed on twitter I have the same pet peeves as you. A good fitting bra changes your posture and fit of clothes. I do get frustrated at the sizes stock on the high street. I've been educated to throw away tape measures when it comes to bras, this is the philosophy of Bravissimo. Since bra brands vary the way forward is looking at the fit of the bra rather than concentrating on a measurement. I usually (depending on style & store) end up wearing a 38/40GG/H/HHI wrote a post about Boux Avenue and how they don't cater for larger ladies.

Yeah, I've been fitted in Bravissimo. I just find that if you're trying to get a bra yourself then measuring yourself is a good place to start, and like I mentioned that I don't order online because my bra sizes vary from brand to brand. It gives a good starting point for people that don't know where to in my opinion. And Boux Avenue does my head in, they are a lingerie only store and they have totally crap sizes - you'd think if that was all they had they'd be able to cater for everyone!!

Amen! I'm a 30 G or a 32 FF depending on the make, and although I'm lucky enough to know my correct bra size I agree with you that I am so fed up of paying £65 minimum for a matching bra and underwear set which I usually don't like that much but am settling for because no one else makes my size!

This is such an interesting post, mainly for the girls who didn't know about measuring! I used to wear a 75A for years (we work with different sizes in europe), but then I asked the lady to measure me. I was a 65/70C all along! Now I measure my size regurlarly, mainly when my weight has changed. Now I'm wearing a different size. It's hard to find bras when you have a small back and a slightly fuller buste than the average woman with that back size.